With the Painting Pedestal hiatus showing no sign of being over its back to some promised 19th century troops for some light relief.
Here are some new figures I painted up to be part of my German Confederation force of 1848/49. They represent the Lippe contingent. I used Hat ww1 infantry and just tried a paint job alteration – clearly the short rifle is an obvious period error while the pickelhaube is the later squashed variety.
my standard 40mm square bases of 3 figures arranged for a Piquet Field of Battle Battalion
I am quite pleased with the paint job especially how the pickelhaube does not appear so squashed when highlighted with the brass finish spike and reinforcing strips.
I have gone for a grass finish on these bases – I used a fine sawdust brand – Javis I think?Bases still get the games workshop pva/birdgrit solution and then 3 layer brown, ochre and yellow/white paint job.I like the poses although again the revolver armed officer is a bit premature for 1848/49 period.The confederation carried tricolour rosettes which i have enlarged so they can be seen and I have just painted over the jack boot which is never shown at this time. Again at wargame distance you don’t really notice.Alongside my Parma infantry of 1851 the helmet shape is noticeable. Yet again at wargame distance its all fine.The Pickelhaube was quite the fashion mid century – Russians and of course the British all followed the Prussian style just like the Duchy of Parma.All I need now is a whole rake of these from the different states……………..
Right now Hat seem to have ceased/reduced production and whether these figures will reappear is anyones guess
Next on the Painting Pedestal statistically should be more mid 19th century figures but right now it’s back to the future as they say – hang on to your hats 23x part 2 beckons.
These are Hat set 8233 Austrian Napoleonic Landwehr repurposed to be a Volunteer rifle unit from the 1848 Revolutionary period
A skirmisher unit for Neil Thomas rules plus an infantry base to mix in with regulars for adapted Fire & Fury or Piquet Field of BattleI quite like the Landwehr figures and you can just about get away with painting stocks and breeches as mid 19th century trousers. The coatee is also something that endured until the 1840’s so their wearing old stock…..The headgear is not correct but near enough and of course they are armed with muskets not rifles – this is the beauty of 1/72 vagueness. They are Matt varnished for a change!I have waxed and wained over the gaugemaster bright bush plants but this time with some Frome Model shop green tufts I am happy with the field look.
My inspiration for these Volunteers comes from a nice little guide No9, published by Partizan Press ……………
Converted Piedmont/Sardinian line infantry trudge across the guide cover which sports their fellow guardsmen of 1848
The tanks in use were the usual suspects, however the C19th game included several units which were converted – head swops or using different paint jobs.
Here are some of the units that were in play.
For 1859 Piedmontese I basically used these Hat ACW Infantry Firing, a paint job adaption. Crucially the kepi gradually replaced the tapered stove pipe in Piedmont/Sardinian Armies between 1848 and 1870 so ACW sets are a good source for these forces and require little adaption. And at a squint can cover Danish troops in their German wars 1848-1864, but thats another story.Hat Napoleonic Russian Militia were simply painted as Milan Civil Guard. A couple of figures had flat hats created to replace their busby like hats. The Flag is a home made effort using artists acrylic pens on dried out glasses cleaner material. Yep some “value” glasses cleaner wipes don’t have a long shelf life – and I have packets of them! However oddly they are a bit like tough crepe paper so of course ended up in the hobby spares box.
The biggest conversion on show was my 1849 Piedmontese or Sardinians – rapidly expanded infantry were sent into battle with simple frockcoats and larger red tapered shakoes. (the regulars had double breasted frockcoats and smaller tapered stove pipe hats). I used Hat marching ACW union troops and took the Shakoes and back packs from Hat Dutch Napoleonic Infantry. These lancers are circa early 1970’s Minifigs – conversion is in my “minds eye” to some Piedmont Lancers who of course did not wear green! or had combs on the helmets, red on their pennants……oh well its amazing what you can forgive.
These figures are Strelets 1877 Russian Artillery posing as french artillery circa 1850. The “piece” is I think a Zvezda item from their Great Northern Wars rangeThese trusty Hussars date from the 1970’s and are French Napoleonic. They regularly turn up as Austrian Hussars in my games.The river is from S&A Scenics and the bridge is a laser wood cut kit from 4ground
My last unit on show is the 1860 British Legion – that sailed to Sicily with Garibaldi’s Mediterranean Invasion Army. The figures are Strelets Russian Turkish war of 1877 Russians in summer uniform.
Even in these days of a truly massive games market the more obscure historical events being modelled benefit from some conversion and adaption in order to capture the flavour of uniforms.
Neil Thomas offered this battle as an example of a small action using his mini battle setting. His rules assumed a 2’x 2′ or 600mm square. So thats board game sized.
His rules say you do not need to rebase. Always a positive these days.
I have a mixture of units – a result of my lock down era painting activity tending to paint what I fancied than worrying about actual armies!
The action is straightforward – the Danes are retreating and use a bottleneck on the key route north towards Jutland. The Danish rearguard are buying time for their main forces to retreat to their last defence line in Schlieswig – the Duppel fortifications.
suggested set up from book – copyright Neil Thomas.
Their opponent was the geographic “Empire” effectively still the Holy Roman Empire but now really the German Confederation post Waterloo with Austrian and Prussian interference/support.
In this case the Austrians were attacking the rearguard.
The Danish Rearguard
Infantry Unit A
Infantry Unit B
Infantry Unit C
Infantry Unit D
Artillery Battery E
The Artillery was Bronze Rifled while the Infantry were all Levy in loose order armed with rifled muskets.
The Danish troops are all deployed in the bottleneck.
The Austrians Attack starting at the river line comprise
9th Hussars – Average
Artillery – 2 batteries both with bronze rifled cannon
Their main forces arrive from move 1 on the main road
Jaeger Infantry unit – elite, rifled musket, loose order
Skirmishers – elite, rifled musket
On moves 2 & 3 the following units arrive via the same southern road access
Infantry Unit 6 – move 2 – average, rifled musket, loose order
Infantry Unit 7 – move 3 – average, rifled musket, loose order
Infantry Unit 8 – move 3 – average, rifled musket, loose order
Battle Narrative
With the objective to clear all danish forces from the road (at least 12cm from the road) essentially the Austrians simply went through the Front Door.
They had 10 moves to do it in with a win lose outcome and no draw.
Special Rules as suggested by Neil Thomas were used
Colonel Muller personal leadership of the Danes means any one unit at the start of any turn can be elite.
The Danish Artillery were quite ineffectual so get half the nortmal values in defence and attack
The Austrians fresh from rough handling by the French in 1859 adopt bayonet charges in preference to distance firefights. They stay in column the whole game and can charge without restriction (no unit base quantity advantage required)
Some shots of the action
Danish defence face the Austrian advance guard
The stream has no effect on movement except Artillery must use the bridge. The town can be accessed only by Infantry. The lake is impassable to all troops while infantry can move through the wood.
The Austrian battery drops into action as the 9th Hussars begin their fateful attack
The Danish front line are in line and not moving, supported by more mobile Column units behind. If infantry want to move in Neil Thomas’ rules they must be in column.
The 9th Hussars much reduced by musket fire charge home. The Austrian Skirmishers have made little impact but the Artillery have seriously depleted the Danish infantry to their front.The Danish front line has been blown away by the Austrian Artillery and the Elite Jaeger unit
Note in this game I chose not to field the woeful Danish Artillery ( i.e. I forgot to place them on the board!)
The second line of Danish infantry eventually destroy the Elite JaegerBut at the cost of another Danish unit when more Austrians charge homeIts the end of move 10 and the final Danish defence was about to be overrun by the Austrians
An Austrian victory seemed to confirm Neil Thomas’ view that history repeats itself with his suggested set up. In his notes he offers several options to up the defence capability of the Danes.
In this case a very narrow Danish Victory suggests a well thought out scenario by Neil Thomas. Generally I have found Neil Thomas scenarios are fun to play because they tend to lead to a lot of action and no quick outcomes. So although asymmetrical in set up they seem to be well balanced games.
Footnote:
The Figures are Irregular Miniatures and Hat for the Danish
In this picture top right clockwise – 1848 Danish Infantry, 1849 Danish Infantry then 1864 Danish and finally some rogue 1860 Piedmontese.The Austrians are top left clockwise Hat Grenzers – being Skirmishers then Minifigs (1970’s) French Hussars posing as the 9th, Waterloo1815 1859 Austrian Artillery and finally the elite Jaeger are WW1 Belgians painted as Neapolitan 1859 Cracciatori Light Infantry
Elsewhere in the photographs the regular Austrian Infantry on show are Waterloo1815 1859 Austrians in their white coats – in 1864 it was bitter winter weather so soldiers actually fought in their greatcoats.
Neil Thomas offers the mini game as a quick affair and it certainly was. Lots of enjoyment from a two foot square, scenery, dice and some figures.
Ok Cavalry has not been my top list item for mid 19th century forces. They don’t figure much in the record and are derided for ineffective battle action as well as being the scout forces that seemed to be missing in action as armies stumbled into each other.
Having said all that they still had colourful uniforms! At the end is an item about the obvious error…….
These figures date to my try a “few of many” period so no vast regiments but squadrons and patrols.
And of course composite cavalry units did seem the order of the day at times.
In this case I have opposing forces on show as well!
Central Italian League 1860 – Cavalry Regiment “Guide”*
*I have previously posted about the Warrior Napoleonic Hussars posing as Guides for the Central Italian League.
The Piedmont Cavalry are Waterloo1815 French Line Lancers.
The Uhlans are by Lucky Toys
The Austrian Dragoons are Hat Austrian Napoleonic Dragoons
I have used a range of grasses here over my standard 3 colour (burnt sienna base + ochre dry brush+ yellow/white highlights) painted budgie grit.
The Piedmont Cavalry are flocked with Woodland Scenics fine turf
The Austrian Dragoons are flocked with Woodland Scenics fine turf with Gamers Grass Dense Beige 6mm wild tufts
The Austrian Uhlans are flocked with Woodland Scenics fine turf with Gamers Grass Beige 2mm tufts
The Guides also sport Gamers Grass Dense Beige 6mm wild tufts
Which do you prefer?
A – Hussars in the brushwood?
B – Piedmontese on the thin turf?
C – The Uhlans in the small tufts?
D – The Dragoons in turf and brushwood?
Out of interest the painted base looks right when viewed on the games table but not in close up.
Warrior v Waterloo1815 v LuckyToys v Hat figures compared when painted and based
Flock references above and Grasses below
This ends a small flurry of completions for my mid 19th century armies.
The Error
My Piedmontese Cavalry have a helmet “comb” where there should not be one. “No comb” was the mid century fashion for Dragoons and Cuirassiers. Yet I could not bring myself to cut them off as they make this figure…………………..
When the Kingdom of Piedmont and Sardinia went to war in the 1st Italian Independence War in 1848 they had been rapidly mobilising their forces.
A shortage of materials and equipment meant that new units were equipped with a simpler uniform. Tunics were single breasted instead of double breasted. The shako was a different design as well.
These figures represent soldiers in these rapidly mobilised units.
They are are made from two sets of figures.
the body – Hat US ACW infantry
the head and back packs – Hat Dutch Napoleonic infantry
US Infantry in Attack 2 by Hat are the base figure with a cut down dress makers pin driven in to take the new head.Hat Waterloo Netherlands Militia make the sacrifice to provide heads and back packsI ended up with some wacky head positions as accurately driving the head on the pin spike was a lottery. Everything was super glued which seems to work best.The Guard Infantry shown here betray the shoulder pads and white waist/shoulder belts missing on the US figures. But even so I think my chaps pass for that rapid muster of new units who would be defeated by Marshal Radetzky’s Austrians in a matter of months and then again a year later in 1849 at Novarra which effectively finished the 1st War.
Yes its Chester and another great find in a real model shop.
in the covered arcade of this impressive building was a fantastic findI did notice in this shop that Airfix and other “UK brands” were dominant – the shop did not look like it lacked for business so maybe imported stocks are a problem? – or maybe Chester folks love Airfix!the place was awash with metcalfe card kits – I had seen this gatehouse advertised but this was the first time I had seen one in a shopThe 1/72 figure ranges seemed much reduced – empty shelves. The Hat Austrians were regular as expected but the Waterloo1815 1/72 figures I nearly dropped – caught out by their weight! both sets were the last ones on show and were old stock I think – and in metal!!!!!ok just 6 men on horseback but I had to have them.
Rarely do you find metal figures on the high street. I got lucky!
The Milan Guard caught my eye, I like green uniforms which are often reserved for light troops The figures are Hat and were napoleonic russian militia.I have used my standard 40mm square basing of 3 figures with a 3 paint layer over budgie grit. For a change I have used winter grass – seems to work.
James Fisher has a fascinating blog on Napoleonics. James asked me about Warrior Miniatures. Now I will say at this point Warrior Miniatures and I go back to the mid 1970’s, however my association has only ever been as a paying customer. So any effusive comments about them is simply reflecting my enthusiasm for their products.
So James wondered about plastics and the metals from Warrior Miniatures which I would add, shown here, are from their advertised 25mm range.
Now I have chosen to show the figures randomly arranged. Previously I have posted with some attempt to show exact height difference. Yet I think that ultimately it is the opinion that matters not the maths. So do they look ok?
First up the plastics – L to R Hat Russian Militia, Waterloo1815 Austrian 1859 Artillery and then Strelets 1877 Russian Artillery. Note thin strelets bases probably make between 1-2 mm height difference. The austrians have been on short rations while the green russians look rather too well fed……….The blue strelets are slightly shorter and as they are furtherest from the camera this is enhanced. unless you game with all troops in one neat row view exactly side on then that comparison is false. So my slightly layered approach is more suited to judging if figures will “mix well”. L-R Hat Russian Militia; Strelets Russian 1877 Artillery then Strelets ACW Union in attack converted with Hat stove pipe hats and finally Hat Napoleonic Austrian Landwehr L-R strelets 1877 russians; converted strelets attacking union ACW infantry, Hat austrian landwehr and far right Waterloo1815 Austrian 1859 infantry, again thin strelets bases and they being shorter yet squatter mean they could be easily 2mm shorter. I think it will be fine.Warrior Napoleonic 25mm range L-R irregular spanish, then a sole British Napoleonic Light Infantryman BN10 I think and finally spanish line troops (these are the standard 4 poses you get with Warrior along with a firing pose. To me they are active and uncomplicated – great for gaming pieces – not so good if you are producing perfect rembrandtsWarrior Napoleonics SN8, SN6, SN9, SN5 irregular spanish infantryWarrior Napoleonics Spanish SN5; British Light Infantry BN10 – with shoulder pads!; Spanish Line Infantry SN1 and SN4Warrior 25mm Napoleonics – 4 of the 5 standard poses – firing pose not shownwarrior and waterloo 1815 figures interposedWarrior and Waterloo1815 figures interposedWarrior and converted Hat figures interposed (conversion from kepi to stove pipe has added almost 2mm to top of figure)Warrior and Hat Landwehr interposedWarrior and Strelets 1877 russians interposedWarrior and Russian Militia interposed
Just for fun here are some other figure comparisons – I think hinds and caliver books still run these “retro” minifig/hinchliffe lines. I have posted elsewhere the gross sculpture change Greenwood & Ball did between their Garrison Normans and Vikings. I think the bigger more detailed Vikings shown here sunk without trace – while the older G&B figures were rerun for a time into the 2000’s?
1970 era Hinchliffe persian, Greenwood and Ball Garrison Viking, Minifig ECW, Hinchliffe Assyrian and Minifig 7YW french musketeer – minifigs tended to be shorter and fatter1970’s metals interposed with strelets russians1970’s metals interposed with Austrain Landwehr Hat figures1970’s metals interposed with Russian Militia Hat figures1970’s metals interposed with strelets ACW conversions1970’s metals interposed with Waterloo1815 Austrian 1859 infantry
Here is another oddity – again a short life production from Minifigs
a persian horseman for the Cyrus the Great era who dwarfs a standard 1970’s minifig horse which was all that was offered then! The figures were completely oversizing the existing ranges when they came out. again I think they sank without traceI quite liked the figure at the time – but they never got beyond my by then favoured black undercoat and some block paintingmagnificant helmet comb……….with skirts – they deserve painting one day……….
Now I have dug out a later 25mm 1700 grenadier – I think its a foundry chap with practically no base.
base starts at 10cmeyes at 28mm and grenadier cap tops out at 34mmso how does he match up?Warrior examples with two 25/28mm figures – the chap on the left is more 25mm but still above 25mm foot to eye.Bulk is one issue – warrior are campaign figures so half starved whereas most 28mm figures are obviously garrison based and well fed warrior napoleonics alongside minifigs 7YW musketeer and 25/28mm grenadierwarrior napoleonics alongside hinchliffe assyrian and 25/28mm grenadierwarrior napoleonics alongside hinchliffe persian and 25/28mm grenadierwarrior napoleonics alongside Greenwood and Ball Garrison viking and 25/28mm grenadier. I actually think the vikings cut the mustard in the 25/28mm sector but 45 years too early!warrior napoleonics alongside minifigs ECW and 25/28mm grenadier
Now some finished and based figures to compare against
Warrior Napoleonics and minifig austrian 7YW very very fat figures – the frei corps figure I hated even painted as it turns out and still don’t like even today. Yet they have done good service on the gaming table.Warrior Napoleonics and Hinchliffe Bavarians who match well for campaign slightness while height is fine in my viewWarrior Napoleonics and Zvezda 1/72 Great Northern War Russian Infantry in some inexplicable uniform from the mythical world of Fauxterre of course. With thinner bases the Zvezda figures are physique wise taller. Zvezda have produced some significant variations in their historical ranges which puts certain figures in the 25/28mm categoryALL Warrior Napoleonics and their french counterparts with painting 45 years apart! clearly there is a very stiff breeze blowing……Warrior Napoleonics and Tradition 25mm Russian Guard. Slender style matches and as guardsmen they are just a bit taller to eye level.Warrior Napoleonics and early minifig french napoleonic line infantry
To sum up, when it comes to height, I have become ever more tolerant and actually it is anatomy which jarrs my view. This is why I struggle with Perry figures – they are just so perfect. Which shows you just can’t please some people.
Some beautiful plastic 28mm Perrys from my stalled Wars of the Roses project with a metal tumbling dice norman (1/72) thrown in
Finally a book which started my wargaming in earnest and is a celebration of fantasy gaming – I kid you not!
This books celebrates fantasy gaming
I leave you with this image from that book – published in 1967 – when it really probably was bad form not to have the correct facings or turnback colours etc. Lawford and Young said “play fantasy” and in the game photos they showed that scale was not a big issue. These look like 30mm figures rubbing shoulders with 45mm figures?????
The lancers smallness is offset by their horse size while the bearskin wearer looks almost 20th century parade dress with a decididly 18th century chap next to him…. who cares….the game was a cracker.
Above all if it looks right to you then it is fine – play* away.
*tournament players will not be so lucky methinks.
These are my first Hat “el cid” 1/72 figures I have painted. Now given the period is pitched as 11th/12th century some of the figures have flat top helmets which mark the start of the great helm era. So my fix as I wanted my figures to back fit into early 11th century was to get some heads from my strelets normans and do a swop. They look ok to me.I did two Impetus bases and chose my own shield designs which dominate these figures. The horse colours are again coat d’arms which I have quickly become happy with. I suppose the cloaks might seem unusual for early 11th century but I think they work as long as they don’t have heraldic symbolsI used the shield design on the cover of ospreys armies of medieval italian wars, nice work by Mr Rava.I also get a command unit for the 12 figures you get in a Hat set. These guys were given a shield design based upon one from the osprey guide italian medieval armies 1000-1300. The design shown was apparently the d’hautevilles – a very large family of warriors who were involved in the Norman takeover of southern italy.I quite liked the design shown on the cover of this osprey so gave a version of it to my command
To round things off I based the figures for 15mm impetus! 80mm wide – a compromise I really like. I used my current favoured 3 layer base painting over budgie grit (warhammer idea) and finished this time with foliage from gaugemaster/noch for railway modelling.
The Wargaming Erratic 